Alas what wonder! Man's fuperior part Uncheck'd may rife, and climb from art to art; 40 Deduct what is but Vanity, or Dress, Or Learning's Luxury, or Idlenefs; 45 it describes, when it becomes vifible in its descent to, and ascent from the Sun, conjectured, with the highest appearance of truth, that Comets revolve perpetually round the Sun, in ellipfes vaftly eccentrical, and very nearly approaching to parabolas. In which he was greatly confirmed, in obferving between two Comets a coincidence in their perihelions, and a perfect agreement in their velocities. VER. 45.-Vanity, or drefs,] These are the first parts of what the Poet, in the preceding line, calls the scholar's equipage of Pride. By vanity, meant that luxuriancy of thought and expreffion in which a writer indulges himself, to fhew the fruitfulness of his fancy or invention. By drefs, is to be understood a lower degree of that practice, in amplification of thought and ornamental expreffion, to give force to what the writer would convey: but even this, the poet, in a fevere fearch after truth, condemns; and with great judgment. Concifenefs of thought and fimplicity of expreffion, being as well the best inftruments, as the best vehicles of Truth. VER. 46. Or Learning's Luxury, or Idlenefs ;] The Luxury of Learning confifts in dreffing up and difguifing old notions in a new way, so as to make them more fashionable and palateable; inftead of examining and fcrutinizing their truth. As this is often done for pomp and fhew, it is called luxury; as it is often done too to fave pains and labour, it is called idleness. Or tricks to fhew the ftretch of human brain, 50 55 Afcribe all Good, to their improper, Ill. Self-love, the spring of motion, acts the foul; 60 Or, meteor-like, flame lawless thro' the void, 65 Destroying others, by himself destroy'd. VER. 47. Or tricks to fhew the firetch of human brain,] Such as the mathematical demonftrations concerning the fmall quantity of matter; the endless divifibility of it, etc. VER. 48. Mere curious pleasure, or ingenious pain;] That is, when Admiration fets the mind on the rack. VER. 49. Expunge the whole, or lop th' excrefcent parts-Of all our vices have created Arts;] i. e. Those parts of natural Philofophy, Logic, Rhetoric, Poetry, etc. that administer to luxury, deceit, ambition, effeminacy, etc. Moft ftrength the moving principle requires; Form'd but to check, delib'rate, and advise. Reafon ftill ufe, to Reafon ftill attend. 70 75 Each ftrengthens Reason, and Self-love reftrains. 80 And Grace and Virtue, Sense and Reason split, Wits, just like Fools, at war about a name, 85 VER. 74. Reason, the future and the confequence.] i. e. By experience Reafon collects the future; and by argumentation, the confequence. VARIATIONS. After 86. in the MS. Of good and evil Gods what frighted Fools, But greedy That, its object would devour, This tafte the honey, and not wound the flow'r : Our greatest evil, or our greateft good. 90 95 100 III. Modes of felf-love the Paffions we may call: 'Tis real good, or seeming, moves them all: But fince not ev'ry good we can divide, And reafon bids us for our own provide; Paffions, tho' selfish, if their means be fair, Lift under Reason, and deserve her care; Thofe, that imparted, court a nobler aim, Exalt their kind, and take fome Virtue's name. In lazy Apathy let Stoics boaft Their Virtue fix'd; 'tis fix'd as in a froft; Contracted all, retiring to the breast; But ftrength of mind is Exercise, not Rest: The rifing tempeft puts in act the soul, Parts it may ravage, but preferves the whole. On life's vaft ocean diverfely we fail, Reason the card, but paffion is the gale; Nor God alone in the ftill calm we find, 105 He mounts the ftorm, and walks upon the wind. 110 Paffions, like elements, tho' born to fight, Yet, mix'd and foften'd, in his work unite: VARIATIONS. After 108. in the MS. A tedious Voyage! where how ufelefs lies The foft reward the virtuous, or invite; 115 Thefe 'tis enough to temper and employ; Pleasures are ever in our hands or eyes; As Man, perhaps, the moment of his breath, 120 125 130 VER. 133. As Man perhaps, etc.] “ Antipater Sidonius Poeta "omnibus annis uno die natali tantum corripiebatur febre, et <6 eo confumptus eft fatis longa fenecta." Plin. l. vii. N. H. This Antipater was in the times of Craffus, and is celebrated for the quickness of his parts by Cicero. |